


This Won't Be the Last

by aj_linguistik



Series: SAO Prideweek 2019 [3]
Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Day 3, F/F, First Kiss, First ___, I will die on the hill that is Tieron ok, One Shot, SAO Prideweek 2019, They're LESBIANS Harold!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-10 20:23:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18415178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aj_linguistik/pseuds/aj_linguistik
Summary: Written for SAO Prideweek 2019's Day 3 prompt: First ___. (I chose First Kiss).These feelings have been bottled up inside of her for so long, she wants to release them. She's tired of hiding them. But...how does one even go about confessing their feelings?





	This Won't Be the Last

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This was actually the first one I wrote for pride week some...3 weeks ago. I've been wanting to do this pairing for a LONG TIME. As in- the moment I first saw these two as characters. But I wasn't really bold enough to try writing them until I got encouragement from my beta reader. Someone please join me in Tieron hell ahahaha. They're so cute help. x_x
> 
> Many thanks to camomilafil for beta reading AND giving me a little push!

           “I need advice.”

A rather scary set of three words, if she thought about it. Normally, one came to their disciple mentors for help with training—not something like this. She tried to keep her head up and avoid looking away when Elite Disciple Eugeo met her gaze. Her entire body trembled. Perhaps she should have gone to Frenica instead. After all, what did Eugeo know about this sort of thing? He didn’t seem the sort.

He turned in his chair, motioned for her to sit down, and waited patiently for her to speak. She quietly thanked him, sat down, and smoothed down her skirt. She could do this. If he didn’t have any relevant advice, he would at least have something kind to say. That was just the kind of person that Eugeo was.

“Is something the matter, Tiese?” he asked. “You’re shaking.”

Her heart fluttered, and her cheeks burned red with embarrassment. She hadn’t realized that she’d been so obvious about it. Tiese clasped her hands together, finally giving in to her anxiety and bowing her head. She stared at her knees. She had to just come out with it.

“Eugeo-senpai,” she said. “How do you…confess your feelings to someone?”

The flaxen-haired boy straightened up. He seemed surprised at the question—which was natural, she supposed. Such a question likely hadn’t been anticipated. Eugeo looked away, appearing to be lost in thought.

She wanted to be as vague as possible. How would he react when she admitted that the person she wanted to confess to was another disciple’s page, Ronye Arabel? It wouldn’t be half as awkward if not for the fact that Ronye served as a page to Eugeo’s roommate, Elite Disciple Kirito. Eugeo was familiar with Ronye.

“I’m not sure what kind of advice I can give,” he said, shrugging and sheepishly smiling.

Tiese frowned, tilting her head.

“Have…have you never confessed your feelings before, senpai?” she asked.

What a silly question. She regretted asking it almost as soon as it had left her lips. Eugeo looked surprised, but then he laughed and shook his head. His cheeks were tinged with red. She wondered what he might be thinking back on.

“No, I’ve never…” he said, trailing off.

He shook his head.

“Tiese, I’m not very brave about that sort of thing,” he said. “I have no place to give advice on this subject, but I think you should simply be honest. Being yourself is all you really can do. If a person can’t accept your love as you are, then you deserve someone who will.”

Tilting her head, she considered his words for a moment. Then, she smiled. It might have been simple advice, but things seemed clearer now. It wasn’t that his words meant something out of the ordinary. In fact, it sounded like textbook cliché advice. But hearing an elite disciple have struggles with love—well, that made the situation less daunting.

“Thank you, senpai!” she said, hopping to her feet.

Eugeo glanced up at her, his face sporting a puzzled expression. He smiled nonetheless. She pressed her fist to her chest and then hurried back to her dorm. As she entered the room, she almost ran face-first into Ronye as the other girl opened the door. Tiese blushed and backed up.

“I’m sorry!” she said.

“I was just coming to look for you!” Ronye said. “I’ve got the proper ingredients for the pies. I think Kirito-senpai and Eugeo-senpai will love them for tomorrow’s picnic. Are you ready?”

Tiese almost gasped. She’d completely forgotten that tomorrow they were supposed to meet up with their mentors to have a small picnic. She glanced down at a bag Ronye was clutching with both of her hands. They’d agreed to make food for the occasion. She quickly smiled, nodding.

“I’m ready!” she said.

Ronye marched forward with a purpose. Tiese remained a few steps behind her. She glanced down at her friend’s hand, which was now swinging at her side as she walked. For a moment, she imagined herself grasping that hand, but she shook her head. Now might not be the right time. She shouldn’t get ahead of herself.

They entered the kitchen. A few other pages were bustling around, fixing some meals for themselves or for later. Normally, it would be a bad idea to fix food too far in advance, for fear that their life would diminish quickly, but since night was approaching, the pies would make it overnight for a mid-morning brunch. Ronye spread out their ingredients on the counter. She placed a recipe down in front of her.

“Okay!” she said. “This should be easy!”

Tiese smiled at her. Her look of intense determination was cute. As they set about preparing the mixture for the crust, Tiese suddenly thought of something and turned to Ronye.

“Say, I left their dorm after you did today,” she said. “Was Kirito-senpai actually in the room this time?”

Ronye laughed.

“By a stroke of luck,” she said. “Eugeo-senpai grabbed him by the belt and told him he couldn’t sneak off until I was done cleaning and he’d released me.”

She giggled.

“What took you so long?” she asked.

Heat flushed into Tiese’s cheeks.

“O-oh, nothing!” she said. “I just…had a question for Eugeo-senpai.”

She quickly picked up a separate bowl and started on the pie filling while Ronye finished up with the crust. Her friend cast a curious glance at her. She kept her eyes glued to the bowl as she combined ingredients. She snatched up a spoon and began to stir them with anxious ferocity. The handle snapped under the pressure.

“E-easy, Tiese!” Ronye exclaimed.

Frustrated with herself for making such a silly mistake, Tiese set down the bowl to pick up the broken pieces of the spoon. Her nerves were getting to her. She set down the pieces and placed her palms on the countertop. It was cool. She took a deep breath.

_I just have to be myself_ , she thought. _I’ve never been anyone else to Ronye. Having a crush on her doesn’t change that fact. I just have to be myself._

“Is something the matter, Tiese?” Ronye asked.

She lifted her head and her eyes widened. Ronye’s brilliant blue eyes were so close she almost leapt backwards. Something deep in her chest told her not to wait. It was the perfect time to tell her. She opened that door by asking. All Tiese had to do was answer her. Truthfully. Just like Eugeo had suggested.

“I…” she started.

Her words were caught in her throat. The feeling in her chest burned like fire. Her hands shook as she reached over to grasp Ronye’s. Her friend tensed up a little; she squeezed her hands and tried to calm her nerves. Tiese had to look her in the eyes and be honest with her.

“There’s someone I like,” she said.

Ronye’s eyebrows lifted.

“Oh?” she said. “Do they like you back?”

Such a frank question. Tiese almost laughed. The girl was clueless. She tilted her head and smiled.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “But I’d like to find out.”

“We can go together to ask them tomorrow, I suppose,” Ronye said.

She sounded as if she were trying to be supportive, but there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. Ronye glanced down at the bowl of pie filling. She frowned. Their eyes met once more. Tiese swallowed.

“I…think I’d like to ask right now,” she said.

Ronye knit her brow in confusion.

“But we’re in the middle of—” she started.

“D-do you like me, too?” she blurted out.

The other girl’s mouth snapped shut. And then it opened again. She let go of Tiese’s hands to cover her mouth. Between her fingers, Tiese could see that she was blushing rather furiously. She’d certainly been caught off guard.

“I…I thought you meant…someone else,” Ronye stammered.

Tiese felt her heart sink. She stared down at the ground. Ronye’s fingertips suddenly brushed against her cheek. She looked up into her friend’s eyes. She was smiling back at her with tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms tightly around her, burying her face in Tiese’s neck.

“No…I was scared you meant someone else,” she whispered.

The burning in Tiese’s chest transformed into a lightness. She drew in a breath. No, she must have misheard her. But she hadn’t. Ronye’s body was pressed tightly against hers, clinging to her as if letting go meant losing this chance forever. Tiese gently pulled her away and held her at her arm’s length.

She leaned forward, slowly and cautiously. With one hand, she brushed some of Ronye’s hair behind her ear. She cupped her cheek in her palm, pressed her lips into Ronye’s, and froze. This was certainly against the Taboo Index—they weren’t married. But the moment took control of her. She’d acted on instinct.

Panic set in. She’d crossed a line. She tried to back away, but Ronye’s arms slipped around her neck. The panic began to subside. Their lips met more firmly now. Heat spread across her cheeks. Ronye pulled away, staring shyly at the floor.

“That…that was my first kiss…” she whispered.

That didn’t surprise Tiese in the slightest. They shouldn’t have kissed at all. What if someone had seen them? They weren’t alone in the kitchen, after all. Tiese felt tempted to look around, yet she didn’t. She should have felt fear in that moment—but she couldn’t. The smile on Ronye’s face melted any possible fears away.

“I’m glad my first kiss…was with you,” Ronye said.

Tiese returned her smile, trying to hold back tears of joy.

“Me too,” she said.

And she hoped this meant it certainly wouldn’t be their last. She wrapped her arms around Tiese and clutched her tightly to her chest.

“I love you, Ronye,” she said.

Ronye returned the embrace, squeezing her back.

“I love you, too, Tiese.” 


End file.
